W108 3.5V8 project

[Mr Fixit]

Hi All

Just finished a couple of Triumph TR6's and been looking for a new project and have come across a W108 that needs restoration, running gear etcall fine 'just' needs bodywork.

I was really looking fro another small sports car so wanted to ask what folks thought of these and if there is any experience with them.

Cheers

 

[Charles Morgan]

Having just restored my W114 which is not far off in age I would say check everything first as very few cars of this era will be mechanically as sound as you think - there's suspension, brakes, steering etc as well as drivetrain. How is all the internal trim - will it look out of place in a car whose body has been restored and how is the chrome, how are the veneers etc. Remember parts, while mostly easily available, are principally to be found in Germany and are thus far more expensive than they used to be and MB can be brutal in pricing.

They can rot like all Mercedes of this period in firewalls, doors, where seals are not working well, under under-seal and in inner wings.

When sorted they are lovely, but the last of the trailing arm suspension, so don't expect great handling. They also swallow petrol like blue whales ingest plankton.

I don't want to sound pessimistic, but going in with your eyes open is always far more rewarding.

 

[alabbasi]

Engines are pretty nice. OHC short stroke v8's making about 200hp and revving to 6500. They have a 4 speed automatic which is quicker off the line than say a 107 350SL would be.
They're not as sporty as a W114 in terms of handling but they go around corners pretty well as long as you're not driving like a lunatic and the brakes are also pretty good.

They're also very well built and very comfortable. Fuel injection parts can be expensive and so can sheet metal. But most parts are still available from dealers.

But if you're looking for a small sports car, it's probably not the car for you.

 

[219]

Having just restored my W114 which is not far off in age I would say check everything first as very few cars of this era will be mechanically as sound as you think - there's suspension, brakes, steering etc as well as drivetrain. How is all the internal trim - will it look out of place in a car whose body has been restored and how is the chrome, how are the veneers etc. Remember parts, while mostly easily available, are principally to be found in Germany and are thus far more expensive than they used to be and MB can be brutal in pricing.

They can rot like all Mercedes of this period in firewalls, doors, where seals are not working well, under under-seal and in inner wings.

When sorted they are lovely, but the last of the trailing arm suspension, so don't expect great handling. They also swallow petrol like blue whales ingest plankton.

I don't want to sound pessimistic, but going in with your eyes open is always far more rewarding.

Semi trailing arm cars handle pretty well , actually .

In my youth , I regularly threw my W115 220/8 into four wheel drifts , and my W114 280E into power slides , which both handled with aplomb - much better than the jellymould W123 which followed .

The W115 , with the lighter front end was much more nimble and 'chuckable' yet it held on through corners in a way that embarrassed most other cars of the day and impressed an Alfasud owning friend at the time .

The W114 suffered due to extra weight up front , but had the advantage of more power which could be brought in to compensate for understeer .

Yes , I was a hooligan in my youth

 

[Charles Morgan]

The W114 has later suspension design. The W108 has the earlier trailing arm suspension which is less chuckable.

 

[219]

Perhaps you mean swing axles , as dated from the 1950's ? Even then , they weren't so bad , I used to get my Ponton ( and my Triumph Herald ) tail out at times , and the Pagoda SL's did fine with them too .

The ' diagonal pendelachse ' as used in W114/5/6 , W126 etc were the semi trailing arms .